


A Different Path

by Lazchan



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-04-18 07:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4697444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazchan/pseuds/Lazchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If the Happy Hungry Bunch found Jae-han when he was twelve and still living in the Ryokuryuu Village. A What-if story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Well, /someone/ made the comment of a ‘young Jaeha’ being with the Happy Hungry Bunch, and so whilst at work, I began plotting out a something. This is going to be short chapters, but ahaha, something simple and heart breaking all at once? 

 

Yona chewed on her lower lip as she looked down at the map, tracing the pathway that Yun had pointed out. "So you think this is the likeliest way to get to Ryokuryuu Village?" she asked. She looked up at Kija and Shin-ah, who both nodded.

 

"We should be cautious," she murmured, half to herself. It may have been the reception in Shin-ah's village, but she didn't think they'd get the same type of reception they had in Kija's. "We don't know how they'll react to us mentioning the dragons. After all, no one is supposed to know about the villages or the dragons, right?"

 

Kija nodded seriously. "We protect our own, princess," he said solemnly. "To make sure no one harms one of the blood…" he looked at Shin-ah and winced a little. Even if they never actually hurt Shin-ah, they never cared for him, either.

 

"Well, then," she forced her voice to be bright and cheerful. "Then we can send Yun with Hak, maybe. Yun can ask about plants or medicines and Hak can protect him."

 

"You're not going to protest about not going?" Hak asked drily, looking down at her. "Usually you want to make sure that you're the first to go in, especially when it concerns these dragons." He crossed his arms over his chest, uncertain about leaving her alone with them, even if they were more than capable of protecting her.

 

  
"I just want you to spy on them a bit," she muttered, "before we all actually go in and see what's going on. I…" she stared down at the ground. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

 

~

 

Yona found out that she couldn't really stay away, not with  the sense of urgency she got. She ignored Shin-ah and Kija's protests, stepping closer to the village edge, wanting to step inside, to get to the Ryokuryuu, to help him, to…

 

Hak and Yun appeared moments after that, Hak scowling at Yona. "You couldn't wait a few minutes for us to come back?" he demanded. "We can go into the village, but we can't… poke around, they said. They're more closed-mouthed than Shin-ah's village was."

 

Yona frowned deeply at that, brushing off her skirt. "Well, then, we'll have to distract them so that we can find who we're looking for," she said, determined. She didn't want another situation like with Shin-ah.

 

"Just be careful, Yona," Yun said softly. "I don't even think that Shin-ah and Kija should come; they seem twitchy." He made a face. "You're certain that this is the place?"

* * *

 

"More than anything," she said, shuddering. It was like a beacon to her now, a cry for help that she couldn't ignore. She knew who Kija and Shin-ah were after she met them, but this was different. She was needed and they were waiting for her with a hopeless sort of desperation.

 

"Alright, then," Yun sighed and stuck close by her. She was determined, more so than before. It wasn't just Ik-su telling her that she had to gather all the dragons so that she would be safe; there was something else here that was driving her to go forward. He hadn't lived all those years with a priest to at least take note of those sort of signs.

 

"Kija… Shin-ah—would you be able to stay behind at all?" Yona asked softly.

 

Kija shook his head. "I… if you wish it, Princess," he said with difficulty, "but I am not easy with just one person protecting you, as formidable as Hak is."

 

Hak raised an eyebrow at Kija's acknowledgment of his strength. "The less people to make a fuss over, the easier we can do this, but we also probably need a distraction and you two are weird enough to be able to qualify for that."

 

Yun just rolled his eyes. "All of you stand out," he pointed out, "but for different reasons, at least. This village won't likely know the Thunder Beast here or the fact that Yona's the princess. I don't think that they get out much."

 

"But the Ryokuryuu is here," Kija said firmly. "I'll do whatever I can to make sure that our brother can join us." He clenched his right hand, eyes gleaming. "We will be almost all gathered, when we have him by our side."

 

Yona patted his shoulder, smiling. "And you really want all the dragons gathered," she smiled softly. "Well, then—let's go." She squeezed Kija's hand and started walking towards the village, everyone close behind.

 

They were indeed all met with suspicious looks, people watching them out of the corners of their eyes. At least there weren't any caves around, the village was pretty open and it was rather nice looking, really, if it wasn’t for the heavy atmosphere that lay over the area. Yona's eyes went towards a small hut away from everything else, drawn to it.

 

"You said you were here to trade medicines and get supplies," the village head said shortly. "We don't want you to linger; this is a private area. I am not sure how you wandered here, but you will not be telling anybody that this place is here." There wasn't even a question about it, it was a statement and one that had a heavy threat behind it.

 

Yona nodded, biting her lip and pulling her hood further over her head. She hoped that the others could be distracted enough for her to get to that hut. She took a few steps towards it, smiling a little as if just a silly, distracted little girl. "We won't tell anyone about your village," she said easily. She didn't mention Ryokuryuu at all; after the previous disaster, she didn't want anybody hedging away from a mention of the dragons and some of those arrows looked like they were deadly indeed.

 

"Good." The man nodded brusquely and started leading off the main group towards the village center, Yona sneaking away as well as she could, Kija blocking people's view of her. She had to get there, she had to, it was important—

 

Perhaps the fates were on her side, the gods looking out for her—anything at all, but she made to the hut unseen. She hesitated at the doorstep, taking a deep breath. What was she going to find here?

 

She pushed open the door and ducked as something was thrown at her head with unnerving accuracy.   
"GET OUT!" she blinked at the young, angry voice. "I don't care anymore, get out, get out!"

 

Yona pushed the door open all the way and her eyes opened wide with shock at the young boy, legs chained to the floor of the hut, dirty green hair straggling into his eyes. This… this couldn't be—

 

The boy stared at her in shock, mouth dropping open as he shuddered and grabbed at his leg, biting his lip hard to muffle any sounds. "You—you," he gasped out. "You can't be—you can't…" he choked on his words and shuddered. "What took you so long?"

 

There was a commotion outside in the village and Yona whirled around at the confused shouting and the door was suddenly filled with people, including an older man that felt confusedly like the boy in front of her for a moment.

 

"Garou—" the boy stood up, tense and uncertain. "This—"

 

Garou nodded curtly and ran a hand through his hair, laughing bitterly. The feeling of the dragon left him abruptly, like a candle flame being snuffed out. "All these years—and our master finally comes. Just in time for the brat, just in time for me to die." His voice broke and his sobs were ragged. "How ironic…"

 

Yona looked between them, the angry villagers, who were all gathered around in a too small space. She moved closer to the boy, sensing he needed it more than anyone else at the moment. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I didn't know. As soon as I knew, I came…"

 

"Well, good for you, for finally coming," the kid snapped. "What are you going to do about all the years you decided to ignore the dragons waiting for you?"

 

Garou turned to him with a glare, kicking him sharply before Yona could step in to stop him. "You damn brat, Jae-ha! If it wasn't for you being born, if it wasn't for you—I'd have been able to actually be with our king."

 

Jaeha coughed and stood up unsteadily, the chains snapping underneath his foot. Garou leaned in again, but Yona stepped in front of him, taking the brunt of the kick and staggering backwards into Jaeha's arms, the younger boy struggling to stay upright and he growled lowly at Yona's cry of pain.

 

"You—" Garou stared at them both in shock, hands shaking. Jaeha gently put Yona aside and faced Garou fully. "You didn't mean to do that," he said slowly, eyes narrowed. "But you still hurt her."

 

_Why should it matter, why should I bother, why should I think about how she's In pain or she stood in front of me? Why am I so angry? Is it this damnable dragon blood the reason why?_

 

Garou fell back as if he was the one hurt, the villagers staring between all of them as if they weren't sure which way to go for this. There was more shouting outside and Hak and Kija had pushed themselves sto the front of the crowd. Jaeha stared at Kija in bewildered shock, then at Shin-ah behind them.

 

"More?" His voice cracked and he stared back at Yona, "You came for all of us?"

 

Garou shook his head and sat down hard, shaking. "Twelve years I held out, Twenty-seven years I waited for this moment and it's not even mine." He rested his hand between his legs. "I'm sorry, Jaeha, I'm sorry, little girl."

 

"Garou?" Jaeha's voice turned uncertain and he took a step forward. "Are you… "

 

"You finally took all the power, brat. You made the connection to our absent king." He gestured to Yona. "You can escape."

 

"None of you are leaving now," the elder snapped, making a gesture and more villagers coming forward, bow and arrows in their hands. "I warned you, no hint of this village would leave and that creature," he gestured to Jaeha, "is the reason why."

 

Yona's breath sucked in and she pressed a hand to her side, wincing a little. "Why?" she demanded. "Why are you so scared that you lock him away? If you were so ashamed of him, he could just leave and you wouldn't have to worry."

 

"It's because of those monsters that we were hunted!" The man shouted. "We had to hide, because others wanted the dragons power. Isn't that why you're here? You went to him easily enough, you're protecting him." He sneered at her. "Are you all monsters like he is?"

 

Kija stiffened and shoved the man aside. "I'll show you what type of monsters you're dealing with. How dare you hurt one of the four dragons; how dare you threaten the … our young lady?" he demanded.

 

"Kija—Kija, it's okay," she winced and stood up. "They're scared, that's all. It's okay." She faced the man, her anger overlaying her words. "But you will not keep him here again against his will. You will let him go."

 

"I'm not going with you," Jaeha snapped. "If I go, I'm leaving this village and the whole damn ridiculous thing with the dragons behind. I won't be tied down to it like I've been with this chains."

 

Yona blinked and turned to him, a sad smile on her face. "I wouldn't force you. Jaeha, was it?" she asked gently. "I just want you to be safe." She felt a fierce protectiveness over Jaeha and she would face the entire village down with her own arrows if it came down to it.

 

Garou stood up suddenly, slamming a fist into the wall of the hut. "Get out of here, then," he snapped. "Run—fly away, Jaeha, like you always tried to before." He reached past Yona, faster than she was, even when he was at the edge of his life, yanking Jaeha forward and shoving him past a startled Kija and a few villagers. "GO!" he shouted.

 

Yona smiled and nodded, eyes bright. "We'll make sure they don't follow you," she promised. He might not come with her, but he would be free, right?

 

Jaeha stared at her in shock, clearly unhappy and torn, but he finally just glared and ran and jumped away as far as he could. Yona stared in shock at how far and high he went, awed at the power. She turned to face the villagers, eyes narrowed.

 

"Now, let's talk about what's happened here."

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Yona looked at the spot where Jaeha had gone and sighed, rubbing her head and turning to the former Ryokuryuu, giving him a hesitant look. He didn't seem as if he was really aware of what was going on; he was listless and not focusing on the accusations the villagers were hurling at him.

 

"Garou?" Yona sat down next to him, touching his hand. He blinked and turned towards her, desperation in his gaze for a moment, before it faded into resignation. "I know this can't be easy for you."

 

His laugh was bitter and rough enough that she flinched back from the sound of it. "Can't be easy?" he demanded. "It can't be easy?" His voice rose and he stood up, looming over her. "What do you know about how easy it was?" he demanded. "You, the pampered little girl, without a thought in your head about the dragons that were waiting for you." He sneered at her. "Or what, the lost king that forgot about his dragons for thousands of years. Why were you so selfish, great ruler of dragons?"

* * *

 

Yona blinked and rubbed at the tears in her eyes from the raw pain in Garou's voice, even as it wavered. His words were loud, but he didn't make a move to hurt her in any way. "I'm sorry—" she whispered. "I really didn't know. I just found out a month ago that… that…"

 

Hak stepped in next to her, a hand on her shoulder and glaring at the man, but there was pity in his gaze. "Yona was unaware of the situation here and it wasn't as if any of you tried to seek out your so-called king." He crossed his arm against his chest, facing all of them. "You say you all were waiting, but you were just hiding."

 

"We were hiding to be safe," the elder frowned and faced them all down. "When people heard about the power the dragons had, they hunted us down to take that power for themselves. There is a legend that is passed down that our ancestor left because they wanted to keep their power hidden; to be safe and wait for Hiryuu to return." He looked Yona up and down. "You don't seem like a king to me, little girl."

 

Yona shook her head in denial at the idea that she was a king of any sort, but using the same tactic she used in Hakuryuu village would not work here. They would probably get shot full of arrows if she said that she wanted to borrow the dragons power, not after that history lesson. "It was still wrong of you to lock them away you did," she said firmly.

"If we didn't chain them down, then they would escape," The elder glared at her. "You don't get it, little girl. You don't understand why this village was founded, why we hid here."

 

"You were apparently waiting for her," Hak gestured to Yona, who was putting a hand on Garou's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "She's the one that the other ones keep a close eye on."

 

"Jaeha is smarter than to get tangled up with that," Garou snorted. "You set him free, so at least you did something right at least, but …" he coughed and staggered a bit, face going pale. "The king… hmph. Some silly little girl can't protect him."

 

"That's why we are here as well," Kija said firmly, standing beside Yona and Shin-ah nodding beside him. "He is one of us and how you've treated one of the dragon warriors is horrible." He was red in the face with what they had found and their attitude after trying to justify it. He glared at Garou. "Why did you let them go through with it? Why didn't you fight them, free yourself and him?"

 

Garou just hung his head, hair falling into his eyes. "I left once," he said softly. "Saw how the world looked outside the village and thought I'd be free, but then… I sensed when Jaeha was born; the new dragon that would replace me, kill me. I was  _fifteen_ ," he said lowly, "and I realized my life was over."

 

Yona swallowed hard and stared at him. "Wh… what do you mean?" she asked, twisting around to look at Shin-ah and Kija, who suddenly couldn't meet her eyes.

 

Garou gave her a bitter look and shook his head. "You'll discover it soon enough," he said lowly. "Maybe it will change now that you're here, but maybe not." He coughed again, clutching at his chest. "At least I got to feel what it was like, even for a few seconds," he whispered, the wistful expression back and the bitterness easing from his expression.

 

Yona blinked in surprise and opened her mouth to ask another question, when he gave a quiet sigh and he leaned over, like a puppet with its strings cut. "Gar… garou?" her voice trembled as she knelt down next to him, one hand on his shoulder. "Garou?" her voice rose a little and Kija pulled her away.

 

"He's gone, Princess," he said, face slightly pale and his hands shaking as he led her away. Shin-ah nodded and frowned at the group of villagers that were slowly backing away. Kjia whirled around. "Why aren't you taking care of him?" he demanded. "Where is the honor that is accorded to one of the sacred dragons?"  Hak took Yona back to him, who was looking distraught at Garou dying so suddenly. "Surely, even if you fear the outside world, you still honor those that are very purpose you are here."

 

There was faint shame on a few faces and a few people stepped forward, gently pushing the others aside, the man lifting up Garou in his arms. "He was my grandson," he said gently. "I'll make sure we honor him for all that he's done for the village."

 

Yona nodded and wiped a tear that streaked its way down her cheek. "Do you need anything?" she asked softly.

 

They shook their heads. "No," the older woman said gently, but her gaze was still accusatory. "He waited all his life for you and you failed him. We'll take care of him in the end."  With another curt bow, they  and the remaining villagers left, except for the village elder.

 

Yona had steel in her spine as she faced him, surrounded by Kija, Shin-ah, Yun and Hak. "You will not chase Jaeha down," she glared at him, "and you will not chase us down for knowing about this village. We will not hurt you or your people and you have my word that I have no harmful intents towards any of the dragons or the people that … guarded them." Her lip trembled as she looked around the sad little hut and the chains and broken dishes that littered the ground. Guarded was such a nice word to use.

 

"You have  _them,_ " he gestured to Kija and Shin-ah, "and it's obvious that they're there by their own choice, but if you bring any danger to this village at all, it will be something you have to live with the rest of your life. Please leave now,  _king_."

 

Yona nodded stiffly and strode out of the tiny hut as if it were a room in Hiryuu Castle, the rest trailing behind her. She didn’t get talk to Garou properly, she was left with an angry village, and a boy that was somewhere off in the wilderness, alone and friendless and terribly hurt.

 

She had to find Jaeha as soon as possible and the faster she put distance between them and the Ryokuryuu Village, the better. Still, she couldn't push away the overwhelming amounts of guilt that tugged at her. All the accusations… she knew they weren't true, but it still hurt all the same.

 

_And what did Garou mean that his life was over as soon as Jaeha was born? Was it that way with all the dragons?_ Her heart twisted at the idea of losing any of them already. They were and weren't hers, but at the same time, no matter what—she wanted to keep them by her side forever.

 

She forced a smile on her face as she turned to the others. "Well, let's go if we have everything we need," she said, wanting to be gone now. She could feel the gazes of everyone at her back, her skin crawling as if she expected an arrow through her back as they walked away. "Let's go and see if … who else we can find," she said.

 

Kija nodded and Yun put an arm around her, seeing the tears beneath the surface. "Yeah, let's go find Jaeha," he said softly in her ear. She nodded, scrubbing at her tears. It wasn’t about gathering the dragons to her at this moment. She wanted to help Jaeha, in whatever way would be best for him.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Yona didn't want to leave the area entirely and she certainly didn't want to search out anyone else right now; she wanted to find Jaeha and reassure him that everything would turn out fine. Somehow, she knew her thoughts were correct on this matter. She wanted to take care of him, she wanted him by her side and the ache of finding one of the dragons and not having him there wasn't something she expected.

 

Hak noticed her pressed up close to Kija and Shin-ah during the night and raised an eyebrow. "… something wrong, Princess?" he asked dryly. He and Yun were preparing the meal that night, the younger boy looking over his maps and calculating where Jaeha might have gone. The boy may have run away from them, but none of them felt comfortable in leaving him alone. "You seem worried."

 

Kija looked over at Hak and raised an eyebrow. His cheeks were slightly flushed at Yona's close proximity to him, but he and Shin-ah realized a little as to why she was acting the way she was. "The princess is worried over our newly discovered brother," Kija said, certain of the reason.

 

"It's more than just that, Kija," Yona said gently, pressing closer and not seeing the flush that bloomed across his cheeks. "It… it sort of aches that he's not here. I… I don't know why, it's so silly. He just—he's one of the dragons and he didn't even like me, but it hurts that he's not here." She bit her lip, staring down at her lap. "I'm being selfish and silly, I know. He's probably off, happy that he's not connected to me or the dragons or that horrible village."

 

Kija and Shin-ah exchanged a look. "I don't think he'd be happy being away from you, Princess," Kija finally said after a moment. "It's difficult to explain, but…"  It was hard to put into words that Yona would understand and ones that wouldn't make her feel more guilty. She already didn't think that she was their actual master, the one they were destined to follow. It was going to take time. "Trust us in this; Jaeha will cross out paths again, I guarantee it."

 

Yona didn't look terribly convinced, but she lost her focus when Yun called her over for dinner. They would think of something, all of them together. It wasn't just collecting the whole set of dragons, it was more than that.

* * *

 

~

 

Awa was a busy city and Yona stayed close to Hak as they moved around the streets cautiously. Kija and Shin-ah didn't sense Jaeha nearby, but there were so many people that Yona wondered if Jaeha could hide in the crowds, hiding even from the other dragons. There was something wrong about the town itself and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Hak sensed enough of an issue that he refused to leave her alone. Kija and Shin-ah were watching the camp and watching out for Jaeha as well.

 

"They've been whispering about the lord around here," Yun popped in from a side alley, looking uncomfortable. "I was told that I should watch myself, because he likes the pretty girls." He huffed at that, pushing his hair back. "I may be beautiful, but I am a boy and no lord is going to try and take me for his bride."

 

Hak eyed Yona, who was looking increasingly angry at that. "I knew something was wrong, but kidnapping girls?" she demanded. "That's… that's vile. What sort of person does that? What sort of town allows this to happen?"

 

"Princess…" Hak sighed and looked around, making a face. Bringing up the King's problems to Yona wasn't right and while he admired her father for trying to stick to his ideals, it had caused a shock wave of anger and corruption throughout all the territories.

 

She bit her lip, staring at the ground. "It's because my father didn't care," she said softly, shocking Hak with her insight. "He wanted to make everyone happy and not cause problems, but it caused more problems." Her chin went up and the determination was back in her eyes. "Then it's up to me to help fix this. Why am I traveling if not to find out what has happened to Kouka? I have the dragons to protect me, but I want to be the one that helps to fix the problems that my father caused."

 

Yun was giving her a half-frustrated and half-proud look. "You can't fight him alone, Yona," he said. "You're not strong enough and if he finds out that the princess is alive, your life will be in even more danger than before. You can't risk it."

 

"Then we'll find someone we can work with so that we can fix this problem," she said firmly. "There has to be someone in this town that is able to do something, that is willing to stand up to them." She looked ready to hunt down the source of the corruption herself, no matter where he was or what danger it would put her in, when a voice called them from the side.

 

"Try the pirates," they couldn't see the speaker, but the voice was quiet and clear. "They're the only ones that have ever done anything."

 

"Pirates?" Yun demanded, but they only got a glimpse of the person leaving, not who it was or how to question them further. Yun rolled his eyes. "How are we expected to trust pirates to be able to help us? Pirates are dangerous."

 

"If they're willing to step outside the law to take down someone that is acting above it to hurt people, then I saw we do what we can." Yona smiled brightly. "Besides, it's not like we can't prove to them that we're strong enough to help and certainly strong enough where they shouldn't mess with  _us._ "

 

Yun sighed and made a face. "So you idiots are all willing to stand out more and risk getting caught for this?" he asked. Yona nodded and Hak was more than willing to see what sort of stunt Yona would pull, especially since she seemed brighter and more focused than she had since they had met (and lost) Jaeha.

 

"Let's go gather the other two beasts, then," he muttered. Yona nodded, but she whirled around when she heard a scream from a shop near them. Yona didn't even hesitate as she ran straight towards the noise, catching Yun and Hak off guard enough that she managed to get to the door of the shop, just in time to see the soldier backhand the boy and knock him into the wall.

 

Her hand went to her mouth in shock, but the gasp wasn't muffled enough as the solider turned her way, eyes narrowed. "What are you staring at, little girl?" he snapped. He casually kicked the child away and any fear Yona felt was washed away by the anger that bubbled up at the sight.

 

"Why are you bullying that family?" She demanded. The cloak was still over her hair and hiding her features, letting her feel a little more brave. "You're a soldier, you're supposed to be protecting us all!"

 

He stepped towards her, an ugly look on his face and reaching out a hand to grab her. He managed to latch onto her wrist and yank her closer, a leer replacing the anger. "Oh ho… look at who isn't a little girl at all. Aren't you the pretty little miss. I could have some fun with you."

 

She simply glared at him, eyes narrowed and angry as she tried to get away. If Hak or Yun interfered, there would be more trouble. She had to do this on her own. She opened her mouth and the man pulled her closer, but she felt a rush of something familiar in her mind and she was knocked to the ground with the force of her wrist being released.

 

Jaeha was in front of her, glaring at the man, panting slightly. He was still ragged and dirty and she could hear his stomach gurgling from where she was. The soldier was out cold and Yona's eyes went wide with shock. The force of what Jaeha had done….she blinked up at him and noticed his glare directed towards her now.

 

"What are you doing?" he snapped at her. "You.. you're just a girl and you can't seriously think you can fight an armed soldier!" He was looking around nervously, clearly uncomfortable being here even if he had just saved her.

 

She crossed her arms over her chest, moving aside enough to let Yun and Hak inside so that they could help the family inside. She could hear the crying and her throat tightened to repress her tears. "That is why," she said lowly. "Because no one should be hurt like this, no one should be bullied or killed because they tried to stand up for what they know is right."

 

He looked away, a faint flush on his cheeks. "Then let other people handle it. You could get hurt."

 

She sighed at this look and shook her head. "I can't do that," she said firmly. "These people wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for…" she hesitated. "Let's just say that I unwittingly had a hand in this, even if it was through ignorance. If I ignore it now, I'm doubly at fault."

 

Yun came out a moment later, shaking his head, tears in his eyes. "We couldn't do anything, Yona. That… even after you showed up, it was too late." His hand clenched briefly. "I'll work with anyone to make sure that we take care of the problem in this town. This…"

 

Hak put a hand on his shoulder. "I know," he muttered, "but we have to go now, since our soldier is going to wake up eventually and be pissed when he does." He looked down at Jaeha and raised an eyebrow. "I see that the kid found you. Question is, is he sticking around or running off again?" He noticed the red marks around his wrists, but he no longer wore the shackles he had on when they first saw him.

 

Jaeha simply scowled and darted off, jumping high and vanishing over the rooftops. Hak just shook his head. "I guess that answers that question," he muttered. He turned to the couple who was leading holding their son in their arms and walking out of the house, eyes still full of tears. "They can't stay here, but they said they know someone that can take them in and help them."

 

Yona nodded and the woman stopped to squeeze her hand briefly. "Thank you… for at least trying," she whispered, before her husband led her off.

 

"We should get going as well, Princess," Hak said firmly. "We'll gather the others and see what we can do about finding this pirates." He didn't like the idea of Yona dealing with such unsavory crew of people, but this sort of problem couldn't stay in the town, either.

 

"But… Jaeha," she whispered, looking off to where he went. "He came to see me… and he was angry still," she bit her lip. "I want to make it up to him, somehow." She looked up at Hak, confused. "Why was he angry at me standing up for someone?"

 

Hak gave her a flat look as he and Yun led her away, all of them looking around for more soldiers to avoid. "It's because you put yourself in danger," he said dryly.

 

"But…he said he doesn't care about me or the dragons or the whole thing with the dragon's master," she said, more confused. "Why would he just show up out of nowhere to help and then just… leave again?" It hurt, it hurt so much, all over again to have him there and then see him run off before she could even really touch him.

 

Yun sighed and led her up to the camp. "I don't know, Yona. Maybe it's something you should ask the beasts about, they'd probably know better than me or Hak would." Kija and Shin-ah both stood up at Yona's return, the relief visible on their faces. She smiled brightly at them and took them each by the hand, Hak and Yun following behind. Her voice was quietly explaining what had happened, including Jaeha appearing and then vanishing again.

 

Hak watched the three of them talk, shaking his head. "I never thought this sort of thing was possible," he murmured, half to himself, helping Yun set up the tent for the night. "Before we fell into your priest's backyard, the idea of the gods and mystical dragon warriors wasn't something I ever thought possible. Looking at the princess, though and those freaks that follow her…" he shook his head. "I can't deny it."

 

Yun hummed slightly. "I lived with Ik-su for several years," he pointed out, "and I didn't fully believe all his talk about the gods and his prophecies. I will tell you that he did see you and Yona coming before you landed at the bottom of the cliff. He sent me out to find you. So there is something about his visions that are true and there's something about what Yona is doing is true, as well. I think she's driven to find and take care of them, as much as they seem driven to find and take care of her."

 

Hak just grunted at that and watched Yona out of the corner of her eye as she talked to them. The princess had changed in a lot of ways since they had fled from the castle together. This was just one more change.

 

He smiled a little to himself as he thought about that fierce look in her eyes as she had faced down that officer. She was willing to do battle and she was completely unarmed. She was ready to fight with her fists and kicks if she had to.

 

Oh yes, seeing her becoming stronger and struggling along the way was something he wanted to see more of for certain. That was one change he couldn't argue with at all.

 

~

 

Jaeha watched from the trees, keeping an eye on Yona and the others, pushing every sense of himself to the far corners of his soul so that they wouldn't see him. When he had watched Yona confront that soldier,  he had felt oddly proud, his words to her non-withstanding. She wasn't weak, at least—she could stand on her own two feet. When the solider had hurt  _her_ , though—his vision had blanked out momentarily and he had found himself attacking the man before he thought about the consequences of his actions.

 

He glared down at his leg, the pants and high boots he had found hiding the dragon scales from any prying eyes. It was the stupid blood that drew him to her, even when she had said he could make his own choices. It was the blood that made him watch her and stand in front of her when danger loomed, to put himself at risk.

 

It wasn’t fair or right, but he could hear Garou in his mind, the longing that had still been in his voice, no matter how derisive the words had been.

 

_Just once, I'd like to see Hiryuu and shake him for taking so long, for making us all so damn miserable and tying us to this doomed existence of ours. I'd chain him up and let him see how it feels to be fettered and not being able to make your own choices about your life._

Jaeha had been younger then and Garou had more of the power of the Ryokuryuu than Jaeha had. He'd easily been able to overpower Jaeha then. Now that he was the stronger one (and he didn't want to think of Garou as finally gone, but he knew it was inevitable) he thought he'd be strong enough to stay away from the person that had caused all this heartache in the first place.

 

And the other two – his throat tightened as he could feel their presence. They felt almost welcoming, almost like a home, a real one—and he resolutely shut himself off more rather than give into the false temptations that the bond was offering. They were all just strangers forced to protect someone that didn't have the strength or wit to protect themselves. He backed further into the trees when he saw the one with the mask turn and look up at where he was hiding and Jaeha got a chill down his spine.  _He knew…_ but it didn't seem as if he was going to say anything. He sensed concern, even with the eyes hidden behind that mask, but nothing else but that.

 

Jaeha rubbed at his arms and shivered slightly. He couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't keep following them.  _He couldn't keep running away, either._ As much as he wanted to, he knew that it would be best to at least be around people like him, monsters that understood.

 

The only people that could accept him were other monsters.  _What a joke._

 

He stared down at Yona, a frown on his face. There  _she_  was, the one that was the cause of all of this, the one that caused his blood to heat and his body to turn towards her, as if she held the other end of a leash that was attached to him. If she tugged it, he would have no choice but to follow. He could hear her laughter, but there was a hint of sadness underneath it all and he watched her gaze flit from place to place, even when she didn't think anyone was looking.

 

Was she looking for him out of concern or because she wanted another dragon to rule?

 

 

He had to get away for now, before he betrayed his own ideals and went down to her and the others. He would stay in the town if she was going to be there, but he didn't have to talk to her again or see her again.

 

_Just make sure she doesn't do something stupid again._ He hurried away  before he could give into temptation, unaware that eyes were following him the entire time.

 

~

 

Shin-ah sighed and looked back at Yona. "Jaeha… ran off again," he said quietly. He didn't need to sense the young dragon to know that he was nearby; he could see him clearly in the trees, trying to hide up in the greenery.

 

Yona looked sad and poked at the fire a little and Hak tugged on her hair. "You're going to get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that," he said solemnly, as if he had all the concern in the world for her appearance, instead of how conflicted she looked.

 

She made a face and swatted at him. "My face won't have any wrinkles," she muttered. "And you still stick around me anyway, no matter how rough looking I get." She smiled a little at that, a small blush on her cheeks and Hak coughed and looked away.

 

"Have to make sure you don't shoot yourself with an arrow or trip over your own feet, don't I?" he asked, grinning down at her and pulling her out of her gloomy mood, ignoring Kija's outraged squawks at the insult to Yona.  Yun just shook his head at the noise level, ushering everyone to bed, but when no one was looking, he set out a container of food for Jaeha, if he decided to come by again.

 

He wanted to look out for the newest dragon as well and hoped that soon  Jaeha would trust them enough to at least travel with them, if not as one of Yona's dragons, but at least with a group of people that could understand.


	4. Chapter 4

Jaeha was sitting on the docks and staring at the ocean in befuddled shock, still amazed at how far out it went and how it moved without logic or reason. It was wild and free and he felt something in him respond to it. For the first time in what seemed a long time, he smiled truly, face turned up to the breeze the kicked up off the water.

 

He nearly toppled into the sea though, when he felt the unwelcome presence set down next to him and he pulled his gaze away from the water to give the stranger a narrow-eyed look. It wasn't the blue or the white, that was for certain. He was getting used to the edges of their presence, as surely as he was Yona's. This was completely new.

 

"Zeno likes the ocean," the older boy kicked his legs that were hanging off the edge of the dock, "He once traveled really far on the sea." He tilted his head and watched him. "Why doesn't the lad get on a boat and sail away?" There was a shrewd look in his eyes despite the questioning.

 

* * *

 

Jaeha winced at that and rubbed at his leg through his pants. "I don't know how to swim," he said finally. "It'd be stupid to get on a boat and not know how to swim." He barely knew what boats  _were_ , his village had been land-locked and the idea of teaching him ways to enjoy the freedom he would never had was thought to be ludicrous. Besides, if he left, he'd leave that girl behind—

 

"Zeno knows how to swim, but he doesn't like how there never seemed to be an end to the ocean. It's good to have a place to come back to, instead of always waiting and searching for land to come to you."

 

"…are you talking about yourself?" Jaeha raised an eyebrow and stared at the man. "Most adults don't use their own name when talking about themselves." Adults were weird; not that he had a lot of experience with people outside of his village. They were all fearful and sour, this guy, even with his weird way of talking, was already more cheerful.

 

"Yep!" That was punctuated with a broad grin. "Zeno is the type that always wanders and since people he meets won't know his name, Zeno says his name to remind himself of what it is."

 

Jaeha digested this and then finally shook his head. "You're odd," he muttered. This guy felt like one of the dragons, but he didn't act like the others; he didn't talk to him about Yona or brotherhood or try and convince him to be one of the family. Still, if he was a dragon, he would know about Yona. She was in the area and as hard as  _Jaeha_  tried, he couldn't keep that far away from her.

 

"Wouldn't that girl use your name?" Jaeha asked, frowning. "She seems the type to make sure you'd never forget it, if that was your real reason for talking about yourself in that way."

 

"Girl?" Zeno looked at him curiously, his tone giving nothing away except a questioning tone. "What girl is the lad looking that would know Zeno's name?" He turned to face the water again and it was only then that Jaeha saw how Zeno's hands were clutching the dock as if he was afraid that it'd break away underneath him and he'd have to hold on to stay afloat.

 

Jaeha got up and held out a hand. "Let's get away from the ocean. It's not going anywhere, after all." He felt his ears warm and he hoped they weren't red at all; he didn't know this guy at all and he was really weird, but he didn't like to see or sense how uncomfortable he was near the water.

 

Zeno's smile was a touch brighter as he took Jaeha's hand. "Ah—you must have heard Zeno's stomach! Zeno saw a great place with meat buns that Zeno is sure that the lad will like!" He was more relaxed and open the further that they got away from the water and Jaeha wasn't about to turn down any food that was offered to him.

 

Jaeha's eyes flicked from side to side, pulling his hand away as soon as Zeno was steady, ready to run, to jump—if Yona or any of that group appeared; if anyone threatened him, he was going to go and not care that Zeno was being left behind. It was better to flee.

 

He didn't notice Zeno's intense look as he surveyed Jaeha and when the older boy spoke, it startled him.

 

"So why is the lad all alone?" Zeno asked. "You seem to be too young to be on your own like this."

 

"…home wasn't where I wanted to be anymore," Jaeha said finally, turning to glare up at Zeno. "You can't make me go back," he snapped. "I won't ever."

 

"There are different kinds of homes," Zeno said thoughtfully, stopping by a stall and buying a number of food items, steaming hot and smelling delicious. Jaeha felt his mouth watering at the different scents wafting off of the various parcels of food. "Zeno left his home a long time ago, but he finds people and makes homes with them for awhile."

 

They sat on a set of benches, splitting the food between them, concentrating solely on the food for the moment. The day was peaceful and as Jaeha slowly savored the different flavors of food, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the gulls crying out over the water, the chatter of people nearby and then stiffened as he felt a familiar presence.

 

"Thanks, but I'm going now," Jaeha said quickly. He couldn't—he had to leave. Maybe if he did get on a ship, he could learn all sorts of things and then fly far, far away from the pull of the dragon blood.

 

Zeno tugged him back down. "Zeno can make sure that the Miss and Hakuryuu and Seiryuu don't find us," he said calmly. "Zeno has been hiding for a long time and can make sure you're hidden, too." He hadn't moved other than to make sure Jaeha hadn't run off.

 

"So you are one of them," Jaeha sat back with a resigned sigh and accepted the slightly sticky candy that Zeno pushed into his hands.

 

Zeno grinned and leaned back against the wall, sucking on the candy before answering. "The lad is smart to realize it," he said after a moment. "Zeno can't really hide who he is when he's this close, especially when Ryokuryuu doesn't know how to hide yet and is very open."

 

Jaeha started to hear that applied to him and he rubbed at the dirt on his cheeks, the dust itching on his skin. "If you're one of them, then…why aren't you following her around like a lost puppy, like those other two?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

 

"Zeno does what Zeno does," he said after a moment, crunching the last of the candy and grinning. "Besides, Zeno has been watching the miss for a long time! He hasn't even said hello yet."

 

"You spy on her?" Jaeha asked, aghast at Zeno's brazen admission. "And how long is how long? How were you able to avoid that… that stupid… chain?" his voice broke a little. "And you knew she was there all this time and you didn't go? Do you know how l…long my predecessor waited for her to come?"

 

"Was he expecting a girl?" Zeno grinned. "I thought the legends said a king, not a young girl."

 

Jaeha glared at him. "A girl came, so I used girl," he snapped. "And so you had a chance to be with her and you just… watch instead of …"

 

"Like you watch?" Zeno asked shrewdly. "Both Zeno and Ryokuryuu have their reasons for not wanting to be with the Miss yet." His voice went serious and Jaeha shrugged, uncomfortable at being caught out like that.

 

"I don't want to be pinned down," he muttered. "I really …. "

 

"But you were also waiting," Zeno murmured, half to himself. "It's not a bad thing, Ryokuryuu. It's the price we all pay for having the blood and the powers we've been given."

 

"No one gave me a choice," Jaeha's eyes narrowed at that. "If I had a choice…"

 

Zeno's hand gripped his shoulder gently. "If you were told 'this power will make it easy for you to protect this person you love' would you do it? Would you accept the power if you were chosen out of so many people as being strong enough in spirit and heart where you could protect the people around you as well?"

 

Jaeha stared at him, wondering just what Zeno was saying, but the serious mien was gone so quickly after that, that Jaeha was sure that he had imagined it. Even Zeno's hand was gentle now as he patted his shoulder.

 

"But that's something that didn't happen!" Zeno said brightly. "Zeno is sure that only happened with the original dragon warriors, the one that served King Hiryuu directly." He rested his hands behind his back. "Even though Ryokuryuu doesn't know the water, maybe he can still get on a boat and learn, if he wants to escape his destiny. He can wait for the next Ryokuryuu."

 

Jaeha blanched at the idea of another monster being born to the people of his village and no one there to take care of him. He closed his eyes as he imagined them killing every baby that was born, just to end the curse that they imagined had been visited on their village. Jaeha thought about Zeno's words.  _To protect the one you love._

 

"I don't even know her," Jaeha muttered, the tips of his ears red. He had already moved in to protect her. "So sure, I'll get on a boat and get away from her. She doesn't have to follow me, after all. The dragons are the only ones that are forced."

 

Zeno looked hesitant at that and then shrugged. "Ryokuryuu might be right," he chirped. "Let's find you a ship for you to sail away on. After all, Zeno stayed away for years so Ryokuryuu can do it as well." He saw the uncertainty clear as day on Jaeha's face and his expression softened. "But it's all up to Ryokuryuu, of course."

 

Jaeha shrugged away his hand and scowled. "Not because you're suggesting it, but I'm going to do it because I can. I'm not going to spend my whole life watching some weak girl because of a promise made thousands of years ago that cursed all of us."

 

Zeno's expression was raw and open for a moment and Jaeha felt incredibly guilty at what he felt, what he said… he flushed and looked away. "You weren't in my village," he whispered. "You don't know it was like. I… we were …."

 

Zeno gently took his hand and turned it over, examining the red marks on his wrists. "Your village was very scared," he said softly. "It must have been very hard for every Ryokuryuu that lived in the village."

 

"You don't know anything," Jaeha muttered, cheeks red at the kindness. "Thanks… for the food," he muttered. He wasn't that rude, after all. "And for not hauling me in to serve that girl."

 

Zeno grinned. "Ryokuryuu reminds Zeno of another person who felt the same way, so Zeno knows when to leave Ryokuryuu alone and let him figure out things for himself." He started to walk off, but then paused and with a deep breath, turned and faced Jaeha again. "All the dragons can sense each other to a point," he said softly. "If they're not doing tricks like Zeno, Ryokuryuu can either hide from them or join with them."

 

He was going to ask further what he meant, but Zeno just waved cheerfully at him and managed to vanish into the crowd, striking blond hair and all. He could sense his presence vaguely and Jaeha smiled faintly to himself, certain it was because Zeno was letting him.

 

He couldn't feel any of the others around and certainly not Yona, so he surmised that he was safe in this part of town for the moment. As he walked the opposite direction that Zeno had (for all he knew, Zeno was heading straight to Yona) and watched the people around him as he edged through the crowds of people.

 

He hadn't noticed before, when Zeno was buying the food, but the people either gave him pitying looks or edged away from him. There were hardly any young ladies about and Jaeha suddenly remembered those soldiers—men that were so bold they'd attack people in the streets. Yona being defensive and angry and putting herself in danger.

 

He ran his hands through his hair, angry at himself all over again. He'd go and find a boat, he'd do what he could to get out of this place and away from her. He had never felt the pull until she was right there, in front of him and he hoped that if went far enough away, he wouldn't be drawn to her.

 

He edged around, listening to what people were saying. Once he ducked his head and walked along like everyone else, no one thought anything of just another kid wandering the streets. Sure, he was dressed a little funny for the area, but it wasn't too far off and Awa had all sorts of people in and out all the time. He wanted to see what was going on, he wanted to see what he could do.

 

_No one should live in fear like these people seem to be._

Still, how much could one person do? He shook his head at his own foolishness. These people needed someone strong to fix things, to reach out and take out the one that was the cause of all of this.

 

When he heard the word  _pirates_ , his interest was piqued. Pirates were crafty, he knew from the few books he had read. They were devious and didn't care about rules bogging them down. They were on ships.

 

He grinned to himself. He could kill two birds with one stone here. He could try and convince pirates to cause mischief and take down someone that was corrupt to help fix the town.

 

_How he wasn't sure yet; he didn't have money or any other incentives to give them, and he'd be damned if he'd work as a slave for them._

He'd also use this opportunity to escape the land, that girl, his destiny. Surely she wouldn't follow him across the sea just to claim another dragon for her use.  _Of course he didn't want her to follow him. Once they were both away from each other, his life could get on to resembling something normal._

As normal as someone like him could be, at any rate.

 

With a quick glance around to make sure no eyes were on him, he leapt for the tops of the roofs, avoiding the people and heading back towards the water. He would make his own choices. It had nothing to do with Zeno's suggestions, or the need to escape. For the first time in his life, he finally had a choice.

 

~

 

Yona stopped dead in the street, head tilted to the side. Hak nearly ran into her. "Princess?" his tone was questioning.

 

"For a moment…I felt something," she murmured. "But it's gone now." She thought she felt Jaeha, which she wasn't surprised at, but for an instant, something else flared in her mind, so familiar that it hurt, but then it was gone again. She shook her head. Having Jaeha nearby, teasing the edge of her senses, was starting to mess with her. She reached back and took Hak's arm. "Let's go and find that ship."

 

They had learned so much in the few short days since leaving that shop. Girls being kidnapped…and it had been a stroke of luck that Shin-ah had spotted that place. Or maybe not so much lucky as being able to use his powers so well to try and find out all that they could. Yun had scouted around and talked to enough people that they found out someone who gave them more information about the 'store'. Yona was determined to take charge, but they needed more backup before she ran into danger without thinking of someone to back her up.

 

Yona was going to take her idea to these pirates—they knew the girls weren't in town after they were kidnapped and the logical assumption was on the multitudes of ships that were always in the harbor and out at sea. Kum-ji had taken serious advantage of the laxness of the Emperor's reign in vast ways and Yona was determined to stop him.

 

Everyone was together this time and Yona caught several suspicious looks aimed towards them, but she held close to them, glaring at anyone that looked at them funny. She took in a deep breath as they stood next the harbor, then she started coughing, her eyes watering as the mingled scents hit her all at once.

 

"Gah…" she covered her mouth. "It's so strong…" The smell of all sorts of fish and unwashed bodies and the pungent smell of the brackish water against the docks was overwhelming. "It smelled better when we were on the cliffs."

 

Hak grinned. "That's the smell of the ocean when you're right up next to it," he said brightly. "It's better when you're on the open water." Seeing her so discomfited like she was before was entertaining. "Are you changing your mind about working with pirates, Princess?"

 

Yona shook her head, looking more determined than before. "We can do this," she said. "We have to do what we can, with what we have to help. If we tell them our plan, they can watch on the ships… maybe attack them?" she looked uncertain.

 

"They'd have to have very good pirates and a lot of help," Hak observed, looking out at all the ships and shaking his head. "But… we'll do what we can."

 

~

 

"You! Why are you always showing up!" A familiar voice made all of them turn their heads to see Jaeha up in the crow's nest, jumping down with a loud thump. Jaeha's angry eyes met Yona's and she took a step back, cheeks red. She had erred again, finding Jaeha unwittingly.

 

Hak put a gentle hand on her back, voice fiercely calm. "She is not here to bother you, brat," he said. "We're here to ask for help of the captain of the ship." He looked to the upper deck, where an older woman was waiting, eyes narrowed and one hand resting on a sharp looking knife. That had to be her, up there, watching them and already forming her opinions of their group.

 

Jaeha scowled and backed away. "Find someone else," he muttered.

 

"You brat," the woman stepped down, puffing on the thin pipe she carried. "You don't get to make the decisions here."

 

Jaeha ducked his head, cheeks slightly flushed at the scolding. "Sorry, captain," he muttered. "I just…these people—" He was looking much better than before; cleaner and with fresh clothing. The rest of the crew had drifted out to watch, looking oddly defensive over Jaeha.

 

Yona really couldn't blame them.

 

The captain narrowed her eyes at them. "Are you the ones that hurt this kid?" she jerked her thumb towards Jaeha. "Tell me the truth."

 

Yona stared down at her feet, heart racing. What had Jaeha told them? Was she the bad guy here? Did he tell her that she had asked him to stay with her? Had he said she had forced him in any way at all? "No," she hoped her voice was steady. "I've never tried to hurt Jaeha at all."

 

"Hmph. Then what are you doing here?" she asked, arms crossed against her chest. Jaeha had backed away even further from the group.

 

Yona turned towards Hak, biting her lip. He could explain it so much better than she could, even if it was her idea. He just shook his head. "It's your idea," he said simply. "You should tell her."

 

Yona hid the slice of pain of Jaeha openly rejecting her, wiping at her eyes for a moment. "We found out where the girls are being taken," she said quickly, explaining about the shop and the tricks, the hidden room their informant had told them about.

 

"So we think… that if we have someone go in, undercover and posing as one of the girls—"

 

The captain looked vaguely interested, but her expression didn't change. "And what do you need us for?" she asked, ignoring the shouting of her crew that they finally had a way to target Kum-ji and his trafficking.

 

"You have a ship," Yona said softly, relaxing at Kija's hand on her shoulder, Shin-ah pressed up against her back. "You want to save the girls in this town and help take down Kum-ji. If I get caught, I can be on the ship and there's a way we can signal for you to find us."

 

Yun nodded seriously, stepping up next to Yona's other side. "We can make a firework that will show where we are, so that you can find us."

 

She puffed on her pipe, eyes narrowed. "You have a lot of faith in our abilities to find one ship in the middle of the ocean. Do you realize how hard that will be to spot and once you fire it off, it will alert your captors that you are not so compliant."

 

Yona smiled up at Shin-ah. "We have ways to be able to see things like that," she said softly. "We're strong in our own ways, Captain. I'm not much a fighter, but I can be bait, at the very least. Kija, Shin-ah and Hak can fight."

 

"Is the kid a fighter too, or can he do something useful?" She pointed a finger at Yun, who just smirked. "I can do a lot more than Yona can, even if I can't fight. Other than cooking, cleaning, making medicines and helping people when they're injured, I can make the firework needed for this to work."

 

"Hmph." She gripped Yona's chin hard, tilting her face up. "You think you're strong enough, girl? To be bait and not know your fate? What if your little group here isn't strong enough or we can't get to you in time?"

 

Jaeha was looking increasingly more uncomfortable the longer the conversation went on, shifting from one foot to another, obviously trying to hold back his words. The captain must have had quite an influence on him to be quiet after only a few days.

 

"That's a risk I'll take," Yona's voice was firm and clear. "I trust them and I'll trust your crew to do what they can."

 

Jaeha finally couldn't keep back anymore. "You can't do it!" he snapped. "You got hurt with that one soldier in town—how do you think…"

 

Yun frowned down at the younger boy. "I don't agree with it either, but I'm her friend and I've watched her try. You keep running off and you said you don't want her around. You don't get a say in this at all."

 

"Hmph." The captain held out her hand. "I'm Gi-gan and tell me more about this plan of yours." She looked towards Jaeha. "Go practice your knife throwing, brat. Maybe you can be of some use in this battle if we actually manage to get going with this plan." Her smile softened her harsh words, though and Jaeha nodded, partially relieved to be away from the pull of the dragons and Yona, and happy to have the chance to be of some use.

 

He was still not happy at all about what Yona was planning, but it was obvious that he was stuck in a hard place. He could either admit he wanted to help her and be with her, or deny everything. He hated being forced and so he went away, knotted upside.

 

If he couldn't convince her otherwise, he'd do all he could to protect her without being by her side.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, 7,000 words later (why can’t I be this dedicated with my novel?) I have the next chapter of A Different Path ready for reading! Please enjoy! 

The whole plan didn't go quite as they had planned it out—there was a lot more uncertainties that they couldn't have accounted for. When Yona finally was able to be rescued, she and Yun were more beat up than anyone else.

 

Jaeha just frowned at them both. They hadn't initially let him leave the main ship and he wasn't about to show off his talents quite yet. Not around so many people, at the very least. The other dragons, though—he could tell how much they had struggled to not run to her, to save her. When Shin-ah had told them about the sword, though—he found himself leaping away, bouncing off of ships and  nearly falling into the water once, just to get to her.

 

He never saw the arrow coming towards him, but Yona had. Even injured, in pain and in danger of her life, she had lashed out and shot the man who had targeted Jaeha.

 

_That girl had taken out Kum-ji, the man that had terrorized the Awa area._

As the others gathered around her afterward, he kept his distance. The pull was even stronger now and hard to fight. He pulled away with all of his might. Just because she saved him, just because she was so strong and fierce, didn't mean that she was owed his loyalty.

 

* * *

 

He retreated to the boat, rather than join the partying on the land. His expression was sullen as he sat in the captain's rooms, knees drawn up to his chest. It hurt so much now, but he told himself that it wasn't something he should be chained to. She had two of, plus that friend of hers and Yun—Zeno would probably show up sooner or later.

 

Jaeha wrapped his arms around his legs, hiding his face. It was fine. Soon he'd be away. He'd learn more from Captain Gi-gan and the crew, sail away and learn about all sorts of new lands. He didn't need the promise of a princess, he didn't need the chains of a thousands of years old promise pinning him to the ground.

 

He looked up when the door opened and Gi-gan crossed the small space to sit next to him, one eyebrow raised.   
  


"So this is where you're sulking?" she asked lightly. "Why aren't you celebrating with others? You helped out as well," she pointed out, "even if you did leave the ship, brat, when I told you not to."

 

He opened his mouth to protest, but then flushed and fell silent again. The small room was making him edgy, but being out there with so many people wasn't something he felt comfortable with as well.  _Not with her out there._  He could be honest with himself, at least.

 

"I just want to stay out of the crowd and I can't drink anyway," he huffed. "And I wasn't about to sit around if I was able to help in any way."

 

"You never got shot out of the sky like a particularly scrawny bird," she said ruthlessly. "Still—you managed to do something useful." She puffed on her pipe for a moment, looking him over. "You still want to stay here, even though we decided we won't be pirates anymore?"

 

Jaeha shrugged, looking embarrassed. "I don't mind learning how to fish," he said softly. "I wanted to just … get away and someone suggested that I find a ship and stay on the water." He smiled faintly. "I've already learned a lot from you, Captain. It'd be a shame to let any the skills you taught me go to waste."

 

She sighed and shook her head. "Brat. Do you think you'll be throwing knives at the fish?" she took another long drag and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I won't keep you here, anymore than that girl would force you to keep you by her side. I will say I already don't mind your presence here."

 

He managed a smile at that, uncoiling from his tense posture. "Sounds like I've got myself a place to stay."

 

Yona and that group would be leaving tomorrow. He wouldn't have to worry about them after that.

 

~

 

Jaeha was nowhere to be seen as they left Awa and as much as Yona looked around and felt for him, all she felt was the strain of Jaeha trying his hardest to push everything away. That might have been fine if she hadn't felt how he was battling against it himself. Still—she had made a promise and she wasn't going to act spoiled over it.

 

"I just… wish…" she sniffed and wiped at her eyes; she wasn't the only one that was crying. They had made a lot of good friends in Awa and it wasn’t just leaving Jaeha behind. "But Captain Gi-gan will take care of him. There's nothing as free as the ocean, right?"

 

Hak looked down at her, concerned. She was paler than normal and he couldn't just put it down to her ordeal. "Are you certain you shouldn't have asked again, Princess?" he asked gently. "He seemed almost willing before and he did jump in to save you."

 

Yona bit her lip. "He didn't have a choice," she kept her voice steady as she brushed away the last of the tears. "Let's go and see if we can find the last dragon and if they'll be willing to come with us. I know that Ik-su said we needed all of them, but I'm not going to force anyone. It's not like Kija and Shin-ah are weak, after all."  She beamed at the other two dragons, who were hovering close to her, sensing something akin to what Hak had noticed about her.

 

"Hmph," Hak rested a hand on the top of her head, feeling the tremble that she was trying to keep back. "Well, I may not be one of those dragons, but I think I can keep myself alive, even with you throwing yourself into danger like you do."

 

She wrinkled her nose at that, but she took Hak's hand in her own and gave a grateful squeeze, cheeks red. "I know, Hak. I couldn't have gotten this far without you, after all."

 

He coughed and looked away, embarrassed at the full scope of her attention on him. "I…" he took a closer look at her. "Are you sure we shouldn't go back to Awa, Princess? So you can recover more?"

 

"Don't be silly, Hak. We've overstayed our welcome and we should try and find other parts of the kingdom that may need help as badly as Awa did." Her determination was back full force. "Besides, Yun did a very good job in patching me up, even if he was hurt himself."

 

Yun pushed his hair back, looking pleased. "It's the plants that Gi-gan let us use, for us helping her out," he said with a smile. "They worked really well." He peered over at Yona. "But if you're still feeling hurt, we should rest, Yona."

 

"I'm fine!" Yona protested, perhaps a bit too forcefully, pulling away from Hak. The distance she put between her and Jaeha hurt more and made her more irritable, but if she stayed in town where he was, she'd feel that mix of resentment and want and it made her more confused.

 

"Princess…" Kija trailed after her, obviously concerned. "Please, we're only trying to make sure that you're recovered from everything. The next of our brothers won't waltz into our camp, I know, but it doesn't hurt to rest a day or so to try and figure out where he is, either."

 

"That's right, Yona," Yun said quickly, going up to her other side. "I understand not wanting to stay in Awa, but we can find a nice place to set up our camp for the night, check everyone over and make sure we have a plan of where we are going next, instead of wandering aimlessly."

 

Yun's voice was so straight-forward and matter of fact, that Yona had to concede the point. Her shoulders slumped forward and she nodded. "That… that sounds fine," she whispered. All hands were against her anyway.

 

Yun rested an arm around her shoulder, giving her a gentle hug. He couldn't fully understand, but he could at least do what he could to help her.

 

~

 

They were getting ready to settle in their spot, picking out an area that had enough nearby water and open space to set up the tent when Yona hunched over, clutching her sides for a moment, face drained of all color. They didn't even get to ask what was wrong before she collapsed.

 

Yun was the only one next to her still when she went down and he staggered under her weight for a moment, before gently lowering them both to the ground. He felt for a pulse and felt it faintly and his brow furrowed in worry. "I don't know what happened," he fretted. "If she was truly sick or in pain, she wasn't so stubborn as to not tell us!"

 

"That's because the Miss is stubborn!"

 

All heads turned at the sound of the unknown voice. A stranger stood in the middle of their makeshift camp, arms crossed and a frown marring his features. Messy blond hair held back with a bandana framed a youthful looking face.

 

"And you are….?" Hak raised an eyebrow, but then took a look at Kija and Shin-ah. Kija looked like he didn't believe his eyes and Shin-ah stepped closer, his head tilted to the side as if he was trying to read more off of the stranger.

 

"Seiryuu and Hakuryuu know," Zeno shrugged it off and knelt down next to Yona, ignoring everyone else for the moment. Hak could see how tense this stranger was—and if Kija's red face and shaking hands were anything to go by, this might be Ouryuu, their last dragon. He was deeply worried over Yona's state.

 

_Well, last to be found or find us, as it were. Yona still needs to find a way to earn Jaeha's trust enough for him to come with us._

"The Miss needs to wake up and stop being stubborn," Zeno leaned over Yona, shaking her lightly. "This has gone on for far too long, Miss."

 

Yona opened her eyes slowly, wincing a little and one hand reached up to clutch at faded orange robes. "Zeno?" she asked, voice and expression dazed. "What are you doing here?"

 

Zeno blinked and smiled faintly. "The Miss shouldn't know Zeno's name without Zeno giving it, either, but Zeno doesn't mind when the Miss recognizes him." He helped her sit up, gesturing for the other two dragons to come closer to them.

 

"Princess… you know this man?" Kija rested a hand on her, taking his cue from Zeno.

 

She nodded once, and then shook her head, confused. "I'm not su…sure," she whispered. "He feels so familiar though." She rested her head against Zeno, getting a grin out of him and a scandalized look from Kija. Shin-ah rested his head on Yona's other shoulder, wrapping the fur around her at the same time.

 

"Ah, the Miss is all confused," Zeno shook his head. "You shouldn't have let Ryokuryuu have his way so easily, Miss. It hurts the both of you to be separated like this."

 

She frowned at that, even as her grip tightened on him. Some of the strain was easing from her features, even as she looked confused. "He had a horrible life and all because of the dragon blood." She looked stubborn again. "I wasn't going to force him."

 

Zeno sighed and stroked over her hair. "It's not good for the Miss," he said firmly. "The blood is more than just something handed down over the generations. You are bound together." He grinned. "Even Zeno couldn't stay away from the Miss."

 

"Zeno…you've been around…." She rubbed at her head, feeling like knives were stabbing into her. "But Jaeha—he.."

 

"He belongs with you and the others, Miss," Zeno sighed. "Zeno didn't think that the both of you would be so stubborn as to let this whole thing go. Zeno knows that it's not easy, but it … it's more than worth it in the end." His voice softened and he pulled Yona a little closer.

 

Yun and Hak watched this entire spectacle with differing ranges of emotion.

 

"You don't know that for certain. You didn't have the same experience he did."

 

Zeno gave her a sad smile. "Zeno knows very well about how it feels," he said firmly. "The Miss knew Zeno before Zeno gave his name, maybe Miss knows something without knowing, too," he tugged on a strand of hair. "But the Miss and Ryokuryuu and already bound together, even if you're apart."

 

She felt the tears trickle down her cheek. "I know," she whispered. "But said he wanted to fly away on the water, away from the dragons and Hiryuu…" she wiped at her tears, angry. "I'm not Hiryuu and I just… I just wanted to gather the dragons like Ik-su said, then I met Jaeha and I wanted to be his friend and I wanted to give him a home and… and…" she wrapped her arms around herself, shaking. "It hurt so much when he said no. Why?"

 

"Because, Miss, he's your dragon," Zeno's voice was very solemn. "It's not just a power that the Miss is borrowing to protect herself. They're yours."

 

Kija wrapped an arm around her protectively, glaring at Zeno. "She knows that, don't you, Princess?" he looked down at Yona. "She is just concerned over how angry our youngest brother is over the situation he was handed in life."

 

Zeno made a face. "Zeno understands why the Miss did what she did, but she also needs to understand that this is a bond that goes far, far back," he said firmly. "If Ryokuryuu is with his family again, then it will make everyone feel better." His expression softened. "A family for everyone."

 

"But.." Yona looked so conflicted and her dragons moved closer to her.

 

"Zeno met Ryokuryuu, Miss," Zeno said softly. "I think he cares for the Miss already, not because of the blood, but because the Miss was brave and protects and cares for her family." He squeezed her hands, trying to comfort her and reassure her.

 

"But… he was so happy on that ship with Captain Gi-gan and her crew," Yona whispered.

 

"He is still the dragon that is meant to serve you, Miss," Zeno murmured. "Trust Zeno on this."

 

~

 

Zeno was surprised himself at how drawn he was to the reincarnation of his king. Hiryuu had been the one he had been bound to and served, after all. If Zeno had any doubts before, they were assuredly put to rest when he actually spoke to her, heard her voice, was able to have her attention pinned on him.

 

That and her knowing his name before he had told her.

 

 _Maybe I underplayed matters to Ryokuryuu a little,_ he thought ruefully. He didn’t get the same sensation as the others did meeting her, but he had already formed a connection with Hiryuu so very long ago and the bond still held. He knew when she had been born, he followed her as often as he could. That much he had been truthful about. It was difficult to stay away.

 

It was interesting to see that Yona was so affected by the loss of Jaeha. Hiryuu had always had them; there had been no doubt and Shuten had only made comments about how he didn’t care for the connection of brothers at first. He had been absolutely loyal to Hiryuu himself and hadn't ever considered refusing.

 

_Hiryuu never had this problem. All of us loved him with reservation, his ideals and the way he wanted to help the people of the kingdom._

Ryokuryuu refusing wasn't too surprising at first, but to let it go on—Zeno felt Yona's pain and he was certain that Hakuryuu and Seiryuu could feel it as well. 

 

"Miss, you need to go back and get Ryokuryuu," Zeno said softly. "Zeno may be a newcomer to this group, but he knows the dragons and the bonds and he can feel the Miss hurting." He looked over at the others. "Zeno isn't the only one that can feel that pain."

"It's true, Princess," Hakuryuu gently squeezed her hand gently, biting his lip. "We want to have Jaeha with us as well and I know that you feel that need as well. I didn't know that our master could feel the pain the same as could. If you denied us, it would be much of the same."

 

Seiryuu nodded and pressed closer to her. "I was so happy when Yona came," he said softly. "Even if… I didn't know about the dragons." His expression was hidden as usual, but his voice trembled slightly. "Ryokuryuu….Jaeha….needs to be with us. For you most of all."

 

"I didn't want to be selfish," a tear splashed down on her dress.

"The Miss cares about her dragons," Zeno said softly, giving her a tight hug. There was so much of Hiryuu that was there. "But the Miss needs to bring her dragon home now." He helped her to her feet; when there were three of the dragons there, she would do much better.

 

Her other companions protested this, the youngest putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey—I'm all for bringing Jaeha back, no matter what your reasons are—" he shook his head at Zeno, "even if we don't know you, but Yona just passed out and she still doesn't look well."

 

Zeno looked him over. "The lad is so good to be so concerned over the Miss, but the Miss will only get better if she has Ryokuryuu with her." He looked serious. "Wasn't there something said about how she needed all four? Now that the Miss has started gathering her dragons to her side, to stop so suddenly and without all of them is dangerous to her."

 

Yun hesitated at that and looked away. "I still say Yona should rest, but I don't know about how the dragons work. I'm not one of them. I'm a genius, but there isn't like there is written information about them and how this whole thing works."

 

As one, suddenly all heads turned to Hakuryuu and Zeno had to hide a grin at the flush that spread across the dragon's face. This Hakuryuu was so expressive, so much more than some of the others he had seen. He was very clear in his emotions, much like Guen had been.

 

"I…there might be," he said slowly, tilting his head. "But it isn't like we've had our King with us since that first time, thousands of years ago." His gaze flicked over to Yona, who didn't notice the intensity which he stared at her for a moment. "So I might be able to find the oldest records."

 

Zeno blinked at that for a moment, thinking about  _oldest records_  and had to hide a smile at Guen writing lengthy reports about the dragons. He ignored his own stab of pain at the idea of going back to Hakuryuu village.

 

"Before we go anywhere, we should get Ryokuryuu," he said firmly. "The Miss won't be able to stand being apart for such a long distance." He glared at Yona. "This is the time for the dragons to be firm on this. Part of what makes us yours is that we protect you, Miss. This falls under that."

 

Seiryuu nodded and Yona made a face and rubbed at her eyes. "Even Shin-ah is firm," she said softly, voice only wobbling slightly. "I guess I have to listen to all of you." She looked over at Zeno, confusion still clear in her gaze, but her grip on his robes didn't lighten at all.

 

 

Hak frowned and crossed his arms against his chest. "Princess… are you even certain this strange kid is one of the dragons?" he stared at Zeno, his look not wavering. "He made you change your mind easily." Not that he disagreed, precisely, but he wanted to make sure that Yona wasn't being taken advantage of in her confused state. "You were pretty adamant, Princess."

 

"Of course Zeno is one of the dragons," Yona said, surprised that Hak would even question it. It was so obvious to her, the sense of who Zeno was shone around him, like liquid sunshine that calmed and warmed everyone around him.

 

Well, maybe the sunshine was a little brighter and harsher right now, but Zeno said he had been worried over her.

 

Still…Jaeha was one of the dragons, too and she had felt how happy he had been in Awa, on Gi-gan's ship. She couldn't take that away from him. It wasn't fair, no matter her goals or Zeno's words about how she needed this. What did he know?

 

"I… maybe you're right, Hak," Yona bit her lip. "I had promised Jaeha and it would be terrible of me to break that promise." She gently pulled away from Zeno and the others, even when it sent a shock of pain through her again. "I said I was going to borrow power, not use it completely for my own gain. I want to stand on my own two feet, not always lean on others."

 

Zeno gave her an exasperated look.  _She's as stubborn as Hiryuu ever was. Once he got an idea into his head, there was no budging him._

 

Kija opened his mouth to protest, but Yun nodded firmly. "You need time to think about this. All you weirdos are just confusing Yona. Let her rest first before she goes rushing back and possibly makes the situation worse."

 

Yona turned a grateful smile on Yun and found the strength to pull away more from the dragons, who all protested. She gently gave Shin-ah back his fur and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for watching me rest, but I think Yun is right. I at least agreed to rest and we won't be going back to Awa tonight." Her look was firm and it was clear she wouldn't be budged from her stance this time.

 

Zeno made a face; she was unconsciously pushing the order to the three of them as well, even if she didn't know it and it was a little difficult to resist. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. One night might be okay, but still…

 

"There are beds in Awa, Miss and Zeno has some money where he wouldn't mind taking care of everyone so that the Miss could be comfortable tonight! Beds are much better than the hard ground." Zeno looked towards the Hakuryuu. He knew he could sway the young man with this promise of soft beds and a solid roof over his head. He could already see him waver.

 

Kija turned a pleading look on Yona. "Princess, I know that you don't want to recruit Jaeha any further, since he expressed his wishes so clearly," his tone was more than adequate to express his confusion at that, "but a rest in a good bed might help you out a great deal more."

 

Yona sighed and looked at the others and then shook her head slightly. "Fine," she whispered. "But we're not seeking out Jaeha. He'll know that we're there, I'm sure—but we will not try and seek him out. He made his choice."

 

Yun just muttered about idiots and dreamers and started packing up the few items he had already set out. "If she passes out again, one of you is going to have to carry her," Yun grumbled under his breath. But… even he couldn't help but enjoy the idea of them sleeping in a real inn, with food that he didn't have to make and where he could hopefully relax, even with a new addition to their traveling circus.

 

~

 

Jaeha felt it the moment they all came into town and he was so tense when he practiced with throwing the sharp daggers that Gi-gan gave him that one went into the ocean and other nearly took off a crew members ear.

 

Gi-gan shouted up at him, eyes narrowed. "You lanky brat, those are weapons you're flinging around! You have to be more careful!"

 

Jaeha winced and jumped to the ground, rubbing at his head. "I'm sorry, Captain," he muttered. He carefully put the knives away, but his attention was pulled by  _her_  presence and the others. All of them were there now and he shook his head sadly. Zeno had said that he only followed, but it was clear that he had made his own choice.

 

But….they weren't coming closer to the water, to the ship. He frowned, feeling their presence stretch and fade again and he strained to feel it, not hearing Gi-gan demanding to know what had him staring off into space. Only a sharp pain shooting through his ear made him stop and turn around, glaring at her

 

"What was that for?" he demanded, rubbing at his sore ear.

 

She snorted and poked him in the chest. "You looked like you were trying to be a bird again," she said bluntly. "What's gotten you all riled up? Are you having second thoughts already?" She would have had to have been blind to not see how much he had wanted to go with the girl and the men that had been with her. It was a raw pain, a hunger in his eyes that her and her crew, as much as they wanted to keep him, could make up for.

 

Not that the brat wasn't stubborn enough to try.

 

Jaeha shook his head, but the pull of  _all_  of them was stronger than he thought and it hurt somewhere inside to feel them  _not_  coming for him. And something else… he ignored Gi-gan again, standing on the edge of the boat, as if that would help to feel for the sense of them all.  _Yona's in pain because of this? Because I said no?_

"Jaeha." His name was said so fiercely that he turned to look at Gi-gan, who just shook her head at him. "You want to go to them," she said softly. "It's not a bad thing, brat. You could be with people that understand you."

 

He shook his head, but it was a little more uncertain now. "I said I'd stay with this crew," he tried to keep his voice as firm as possible. "I like it here and everyone…" he fell quiet for a moment. "It's like a really loud, caring sort of family."

 

Gi-gan's expression softened. "Nothing saying that you can't come back, but anyone with eyes can see that you want to be with them. I don't understand how it works, anymore than that leg of yours, but I didn't figure you for a coward, either, to keep running away or hiding."

 

He gaped at her in shock, but she just met his look calmly. "You could at least talk to them again. It's plain to see that you're distracted. They're here in town again, aren't they?"

 

"Yes," he murmured, "but they're not coming this way. They're in town and far away from the water as they can be." He rubbed at his arm, nervous.

 

"You can feel them for a reason, brat. Just go and see them and face what you're so scared of." She lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. "If they ever hurt you, you can always find a home back here." She was treading carefully with him, he was still scared and uncertain and unbalanced, but…

 

But he had been calmer with that girl and her impossible crew of misfits. Even with his harsh words, he had gravitated toward that young girl like nothing she had seen before.

 

Jaeha still looked conflicted. "Don't make me shove you into the water, kid," Gi-gan threatened. "Find the girl, yell at her if you need to, but if you hurt her, you won't get back on this ship." Her expression was fierce. "She's still a young girl and doesn't need strong little brats taking their frustration out on her. You have to talk her down firmly. Girls need a firm personality."

 

Jaeha managed a grin. "But what about beautiful old women?" he teased her.

 

"You brat," she huffed at him, miming a smack on his head. "Go now before I really do toss you into the ocean."

 

He simply laughed at her threats, balancing on the edge of the ship. If he went, he'd just go to yell at Zeno and tell Yona to get lost, like he did before. That was all he needed to do, right?

 

~

 

Yona was picking at her food, too unsettled still to want to eat. Hak and the others watched her intensely. They didn't like this listless side of her. For Hak, it brought up too many bad memories and for the dragons, their master was hurt and they couldn't fix it. Yun was fussing over her and her inability to eat.

 

"Yona, you don't have to eat if you're not hungry, but you're not resting either, like you said you would." He rested his hands on his hips. "I know the food isn't anything like I could make, but you might feel better if you eat something."

 

She smiled a little at Yun's self-assured tone, but poked at the food a little more. "I just—I don't think we should have come back. Jaeha is bound to have felt us, like you could feel him so easily-"

 

Zeno sat down next to her, easily stealing food from her plate and ducking Yun's swat toward his head. "The Miss is right, she'll feel Ryokuryuu and Ryokuryuu will sense all of us, but since we're not going to see Ryokuryuu, the Miss should feel more at ease."

 

She was about to reply to that, when all of them turned their heads to the door, Jaeha's presence as bright as a flame to them. Yun and Hak saw where they were looking and united in their connection of  _this is just too damn weird_ , stood back together to watch the dragons and Yona.

 

Zeno was the one to open the door, a bright smile on his face as he didn't even hesitate in dragging the confused Jaeha through the door. There had been a look of aggravation and determination on his face, but it melted into bewilderment as Zeno hugged him tightly. "Ah, Ryokuryuu came back to visit Zeno! Zeno knew Ryokuryuu would be able to find him!"

 

He was acting as if there was no one else in the room except them and Hak hid a grin behind his hand. This newest dragon was an idiot for sure and he wasn't quite sure where or how he had popped up from, but it was obvious that Jaeha knew of him and the kid unconsciously relaxed.

 

Jaeha flushed and pulled away, arms crossed against his chest defensively. "I… I thought you all left," he muttered to the room at large, not looking at any of them. "But you came back. Why?" He was trying the hardest to  not look at Yona.

 

"Because the Miss was hurt and she needed a place to rest," Zeno said easily. Jaeha's look jerked back to him in shock, eyes widening. "Since Awa was the closest and Zeno knew of an inn that all of us could stay in, we came back to Awa." He turned a scolding face back to Yona, who was looking rather floored. "But the Miss isn't resting or eating."

 

Jaeha faltered, his gaze automatically following Zeno's, taking in Yona's pale and thinner appearance. Just like with Yun, there were still bruises marring her face and hands; the legacy of their role on Kum-ji's ship. "Why aren't you eating?" he asked, cheeks faintly red. "You shouldn't give up food when it's given to you."

 

Yona stared down at her plate, feeling her stomach twist up in knots all over again. "I…" she swallowed hard. "I wasn't feeling well," she said softly. "Do you want some?" she held out of hand, trying not to look at Jaeha. "It's nothing like Yun's food, but it's still really good."

 

He edged closer slowly, drawn by her presence and that hand that was held out to him. Zeno watched him carefully and then dragged him along, voice cheerful. "The Miss is understating things! The food here is really good and that's why Zeno came here!"

 

The smell of the mussels and fish wafted out from the table, causing Jaeha's stomach to growl. He hadn't had that many solid meals that the scent of this one would turn him away. He sat next to Yona, who was visibly struggling to not reach out to him more. He took what was offered, but hesitated when he took a closer look at Yona. "You need to eat, too," he said softly.

 

"I'm fine," she said firmly. "Everyone is telling me I should rest, anyways and you should eat." Her expression was sad. "I know that you only came here to yell at me for coming back to Awa."

 

A lump choked his breathing for a moment and he gripped her sleeve before she could get up entirely and pull away from him. "No," he whispered. "I won't yell, Yona." It was his turn to stare at the food in front of him. No one else was making a sound and trying not to stare at the two of them. Zeno took one look and quietly hustled the others into the other room, keeping a watch at the door to make sure no one was going to run this time.

 

"Jaeha…" Yona bolstered up her courage, supported by the three dragons that were just out of sight and took Jaeha's hands in her own. She had to be the strong one here; she had to show him that he was wanted, for more than just the power and bloodline that he carried with him. "I know we…we represent something terrible for you, but—we all want… want you to stay." Her voice trembled. "I know you don't want to hear it, but I can't keep running away from it, either."

 

Jaeha stared at her, about to pull away at the tremor in her voice, the tears in her eyes. Was he actually the cause of all this? Zeno had said that Yona hadn't felt well and even now, she looked a little pained.  He tightened his grip around her hands, biting his lip, unable to say anything. He didn't want to be locked into a contract that he couldn't escape from, but…

 

… but he felt the weight of all those years locked away with Garou, the weight of the other Ryokuryuu before him that had longed for Hiryuu to come. Garou, still waiting, Garou with his broken expression and desperation and despair in his eyes when Yona showed up in their squalid home.

 

Yona with the warmth he felt from her. It didn't feel like a chain at all—it felt like something comforting and with that small opening, he felt the others as well and he felt a tear run down his face as he stared up at her. "Why did you wait so long to come back to us?" he whispered, the words out of his mouth before he realized them.

 

"I…" Yona was taken off-guard by this. "I told you, Jaeha… I came as soon as I knew." She looked back at the others, who came back into the room, but still far enough away to not interfere, except Zeno. He came up right next to them, laying a hand on their shoulders, his expression solemn.

 

"The Miss didn't have a choice, I bet," Zeno said, voice cheerful despite his look. "She was in her home for so long and not allowed out to look for the dragons. The Miss even said she just wants to borrow our power to get stronger."

 

Jaeha shook his head stubbornly. "I'm not an idiot and no matter how you act, you aren't either," he said fiercely. "She feels different inside than that silly girl appearance she has. This stupid blood of ours wouldn't respond if she was just someone wanting our power. She has to be that stupid king of ours with a two thousand year absence."

 

Zeno's expression broke for a moment and then the smile on his face was there again, even if it was more forced looking than before, a tremor in his hands. "But that is not the Miss now, no matter who she may have been before. I can feel that the Miss wants us all by her side and wants  to take care of us."

 

Yona gently pushed at that hand and shook her head. "Zeno… don't confuse things and don't force Jaeha," she said firmly. "I want Jaeha here and so does everyone else, but you can't trick him into staying. "

 

Jaeha looked between the two of them. "If I wanted to leave, I could?" he asked. "At any point? You wouldn't force me?"

 

Zeno eyed him. He knew that the longer that he spent time with her, the less likely it would be he would want to leave. Even Shuten had professed his desire to run off at first, but stayed until the very end and even beyond, followed Hiryuu.

 

_Right into the Heavens and probably stayed by his side with Abi and Guen, too._

He didn't know why it had taken so long for Hiryuu to come back, either—and it wasn't as if the Miss could answer that question, either. Not now, not when she didn't even know—or believe, judging by her look—that she had been Hiryuu before.

 

"Whenever you wanted," Yona promised softly. "I'd still be sad to see you go, but—there aren't any chains here, Jaeha. You're yourself and—and…" she wiped at her own tears. "It's just been so hard, letting you go. Any of the dragons… it's hard to think of letting them go."

 

"The Miss passed out, even!" Zeno chirped suddenly, causing the others to grab at Zeno and muffle him, frowning down at him.

 

"We weren't going to tell Jaeha that!" Kija scolded. "It would make him feel guilty."

 

Jaeha blinked at that and looked at all of them. "She… passed out? Because she said I could stay in Awa?"

 

Zeno nodded, despite the restraining hands on him and Jaeha flushed. "You should have said something," Jaeha muttered. "It hurt me, too. I thought… you gave up on me, now that you had the others, especially when I felt Zeno go with you."

 

"No, Jaeha," she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly, pressing her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry that I took so long, that you were alone and hurt so long…" She tightened her grip on him when he returned the hug. "That all of you were alone for so long." Her gaze went up to Zeno for a moment and met his eyes, an apology there as well, even if she wasn't quite aware of it.

 

"I guess… I can stay for awhile, then," Jaeha mumbled against her shirt. "Just to make sure that you don't do anything stupid without all of us being there to protect you."

 

Yona's smile was brilliant and something inside felt settled finally, the four of them settling around her and she closed her eyes in peace, breathing deeply. She nearly toppled into Jaeha as her body finally gave in to its exhaustion and worry as she fell asleep without warning.

 

Zeno just laughed as Jaeha sputtered and tried to keep his arms full  of a sleeping Yona, while Hak laughed, partially in relief to see Yona looking so happy and relaxed again.

 

"Alright, let's get the princess to bed so that she can finally rest." He looked down at Jaeha, tapping his fingers against his thigh. "You weren't lying, were you?" he asked. "You're going to stay, for at least a little while?"

 

Jaeha nodded and relinquished Yona to Hak, who could pick her up and hold her much easier than he could, but he still kept close to her. Now that he had decided—now that the part of him wasn't twisted up in complete knots was untangled, he felt as if he had to stay, to make sure she wouldn't vanish like a soap bubble.

 

"Good—then you can watch over her while she sleeps, since you haven't had a chance yet." He ignored Kija's protest and pushed Jaeha ahead of him into the small room where the bed was for Yona and Yun; the rest of them shared a bigger room.

 

Zeno grinned and nodded, while Jaeha huffed. "This is also to make sure I don’t run off?" he asked, but he sat down next to the bed easily enough, rubbing at his eyes. He was exhausted, too and Yona sleeping looked so peaceful.

 

Kija took one look at him and dumped him on the bed next to Yona. "You should sleep as well," he said firmly, ignoring Jaeha's outraged squawk at being picked up so roughly. "We'll guard Yona from out here, but having her nearby…" he smiled brilliantly, "it makes you feel very comforted. You get to be close to your Master and know that she wants you there."

 

Jaeha snorted, but he was already pushing closer to Yona, who only murmured in her sleep, red hair fanning across the pillow. "I'm not calling her my Master," he muttered. "That's stupid. She's only a few years older than I am and a girl."

 

Kija just shook his head as Jaeha yawned again and lay down next to Yona. He wanted to be closer to Yona, too—but the idea of sleeping next to her as Jaeha was allowed to (he was only a kid, after all) set his face aflame. It wouldn't be right at all, but—

 

Their brother needed this and so did the princess. She had been in so much pain with Jaeha saying no so often, so vehemently. Zeno was the last one to leave the room, a smile on his face. They were all together again. He looked to see Jaeha wrap his arms around Yona in sleep, holding onto her tightly as if he didn't want to let her go.

 

Zeno walked into the outer room to hear Kija crying about how they were all finally together and he rested against the wall, closing his eyes. It had taken so very long, but they were all finally together.


	6. A Brief Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mini scene with Jae-ha and Shin-ah.

“… is this normal?” Jae-ha took a glance back to where Yona was waiting, trying not to show how uncertain he was that he was leaving her behind. There were plenty of others there that were able to protect Yona, but… he turned his gaze back up to Shin-ah.

Shin-ah shrugged. “We all… go to help Yona in any way,” he said, voice quiet, words measured out carefully as usual. “I can see far and Jae-ha can go very high…” He had a shy smile on his face as he looked down. “I think… it works well.”

Jae-ha shrugged. “I guess so,” he said, dubious. Even with him being the youngest and smallest, his leg was powerful enough where he could lift Shin-ah up with him. It was stupid to have the guy be so light; you’d think all the dragons had crappy lives where they weren’t fed properly. It was awkward, but—he wrapped his arms around Shin-ah from the back, pushing off with his foot and landing them in the higher branches of the trees.

The angle of it all nearly overthrew the both of them and he and Shin-ah both clung to the tree hard, staring down at the ground below. “… If I was taller, it’d be easier,” he muttered. “But… uh—” he coughed. “Are you okay? Is this good enough?”

Shin-ah nodded rapidly and turned Jae-ha’s head to the side. Even without the incredible vision of the Seiryuu, he could see out far as the land spread out below them. “… I can see where to go next,” Shin-ah murmured.

“If I can get us out of the tree,” Jae-ha muttered, the tips of his ears red. He wanted to be useful and he’d never admit it out loud, but he wanted Yona to be proud of the contribution he made today. She knew how worried she was about danger ahead and if he could ease her mind a little…

“You-… you’re doing fine,” Shin-ah bit his lip and patted the top of his head, causing Jae-ha to scowl up at him. He wasn’t a kid, even if he was the youngest. “I couldn’t see so far without… you.”

  
Jae-ha’s cheeks flushed for the praise and he busied himself with trying to think of the best method to get them both along the path. Shin-ah didn’t say much or give praise freely, so his words were especially nice for Jae-ha to hear.

Maybe this whole thing could work out after all.


End file.
